Natural Resource Damage Assessment Described at Mississippi Public Meeting

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Mississippi citizens discussed restoring the Gulf of Mexico following injury from the Deepwater BP oil spill at a meeting in Long Beach, MS, on Monday November 22. 

About 50 people attended to discuss the process of assessing the impacts and restoring the environment. This was one of a series of informational public meetings taking place across the Gulf region. 

The evening began with informal one-on-one conversations about the work being done to assess the injuries and plan for restoration. Representatives from the Mississippi and federal agencies responsible for the impacted resources described the process of Natural Resource Damage Assessment, or NRDA, and answered questions. 

Trudy D. Fisher, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), gave an overview of NRDA and discussed MDEQ's role as a trustee agency

"NRDA is basically the process that allows MDEQ, as trustee, the authority to seek compensation for restoration of the state's natural resources," Fisher said. "This process is complex, and one that may last many years, but we want to keep the public involved and informed every step of the way." 

Representatives answered questions from the audience on topics including seafood safety, dispersants, human health, and public involvement in NRDA

Trustees throughout the Gulf region are working diligently to ensure the region is fully restored from injuries sustained to the environment following the Gulf spill. 

For more information about Mississippi's role in the NRDA, visit www.deq.state.ms.us/nrda, and for details on future public meetings as they are scheduled, check out our site's calendar.